Marie-Christine, aka Christine, is the French friend I’ve known the longest. We first met in the mid-1980s when she and her then-husband Marc were living in the Bitterroot Mountains of western Montana. Marc and I were postdocs at the NIH Rocky Mountain Labs and we all became good friends, sharing a love of life inside and outside the lab. Due to my lack of good correspondence skills, I lost touch with Christine sometime in the early 90s but we reconnected when I went to Paris for my sabbatical in 2015 (I can’t believe it’s been 10 years!). Nowadays we get together each time I come to France - it may be in Paris, at her home in Burgundy, at her condo in Sète, or for a few days engaged some activity she deems of particular interest, such as crossing the Baie de Somme on foot. Noyers is not too far from Christine’s home near Vézelay, so I proposed we meet somewhere for lunch during my week stay Burgundy.
The logical spot for a lunch date was Avallon, almost equidistant between her house and Noyers. The plan was for me to cycle to Avallon and back, though Christine was willing to drive me home if needed. She made reservations at one of Avallon’s upscale restaurants, Le 1815, located in an historic coaching inn that had seen a range of celebrities from Napoleon to Elizabeth Taylor. The Hôtel de la Poste and restaurant were recently restored by Julien Cohen, a quirky French TV celebrity whose game show had been a favorite in Christine’s household. She was interested to check out the restaurant and although the menu was a bit pricey, the restaurant had held three Michelin stars prior to the renovation. We decided to splurge - I just needed to bring along some pants and a nice shirt to slip on over my cycling kit.
The most direct way to get from Noyers to Avallon is D86, a departmental road that would take me straight south to L'Isle-sur-Serein before angling west to Sauvigny-le-Bois, located just a few miles from the restaurant. D86 is a moderate sized road and fearing heavier than normal traffic on the May 1 holiday, I plotted a more circuitous route on smaller and hillier roads, realizing that I would need to leave in ample time for our noon reservation.
It was another day of blue sky and sunshine, a little warmer but a fine day for cycling. I passed through the main gate of Noyers at 9:30 and headed south on D86, confident that I could cover the 19 miles before noon. It was not long before my confidence was shaken - the legs began to tire almost as soon as I started up the hills out of Noyers. I’d not put in a lot of miles over the past three days, but they had taken their toll in my unfit state. The traffic was fairly light so by the time I’d reached my turnoff in Dissangis, I abandoned my hillier route and stayed on D86 through to Sauvigny-le-Bois. There were still hills to face and for the most part I kept on pedaling, eschewing photos for an on-time arrival in Avallon.
Passing through the Porte de Ville, the main entrance to Noyers
I arrived at restaurant at 11:45, in plenty of time for a little sprucing up. A very nice woman at reception showed me where I could safely stash Vivien George and pointed me to the restroom. I made good use of the generous supply of washcloths, pulled a black pair of pants up over my cycling shorts, replaced my jersey with a buttoned black shirt, and changed shoes - after tousling my hair a bit I deemed I was more than ready for fine dining. Christine arrived moments before I returned to reception and after some discussion of “indoors or outside” we were seated in a very well-appointed dining room and handed a large, leather bound menu with three tiers of prix-fixé selections. We chose the middle tier and settled in for a long relaxed meal that was visually stunning and full of delight.
The courtyard of L'Hôtel de la Poste, once an historic carriage inn
My main of white fish and razor clams with tempura spinach and sauces - a nice combination of taste and texture. Christine opted for the ris de veau, which she deemed "pretty good"
Rhubarbe and Verveine - a slice of rhubarb wrapped in light lemon verbana and accompanied by a refreshing sorbet and crunchies. The desert course was flanked by a pre-desert and post-desert course, both sweet
After almost three hours of eating, laughing, and enjoying one another’s company it was time to leave. Christine again offered to drive me back to Noyers, but I was feeling replenished by the food and friendship. Like fine meals often are, it left me feeling sated but not stuffed. I stashed my nice clothes and shoes into the pannier and gave Christine a parting hug - we’ll meet again later this summer for a hiking trip in Scotland. And then I was off.
My route home was a mash-up of my original route to Avallon and the one I’d actually cycled. I rode back through Sauvigny-le-Bois on D86 until reaching Provency, where I turned left onto D9, a small newly surfaced road that was a cyclist’s delight. I was so enjoying myself that I missed the turn to Tour de Pré. As one might glean from its name, the town sits above the surrounding countryside. It was a fairly stiff climb up, one that had me on my feet for the last fifty yards. My efforts drew applause and shouts of “Bon Courage” from a family watching with delight from their front doorway - I exchanged a few pleasantries and huffed on. I was soon standing atop a large and open landscape, sharing space with windmills, a cell tower, and a few goats.
A light breeze wafted over me as I set off on a long and relaxed downhill coast to Dissangis where I spent a fair amount of time wandering about, admiring it’s church and weathered buildings. There followed a nice few miles along the Serein and one last climb before the rolling descent to Noyers.
I arrived back in Noyers about a quarter to six, a tired but very happy camper. It had been the longest ride since my injury, and with a pannier hanging from the rear rack it was the first one that felt a little like real touring. l collapsed on the back porch, admiring Carla’s garden and reflecting on a magnificent day, one that rekindled friendships and refueled my soul. I felt ready for the challenges to come.
Today's ride: 39 miles (63 km) Total: 99 miles (159 km)
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Steve Miller/GrampiesA very creditable ride. Good distance, some hills, fine weather....and you made it in time for the wonderful meet up meal. Well done! Reply to this comment 2 weeks ago
